Thursday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/5/2013

The new business of the "Sharing Economy"

While most assume that big companies will find the collaborative economy too risky, too unstable, or too unorthodox, that hasn’t stopped companies in fields like graphic design, software development, and even outsourced back-office services from shattering these preconceptions and proving the viability of the model for the world's largest and most influential brands. Read more from Fast Company and see also:

Call them New Year's resolutions if you like. As 2014 approached, Florida Trend asked dozens of Floridians this question: What's something Florida could do — in 2014 — to make the state a better place to live? In this continuing series, today we look at bright ideas on the topics of:

Jokes about Floridians exiting their air conditioned homes only to enter their air conditioned cars may be on their way out. A new study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, released on Wednesday, found that people living in Florida's major cities are driving less, mirroring a national trend among urbanites. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

How a little Asian bug is crushing the US OJ business

Since greening was discovered in Florida about eight years ago, orange production in the state has fallen by half. Moreover, because of treatments like the nutritional spray, the cost of producing those orange has doubled. [Source: Marketplace]

Tallahassee's political establishment has repeatedly blocked legislative votes on medical marijuana and will ask the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday to follow suit and keep the issue away from state voters in 2014. Led by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, opponents have raised a host of objections to the proposed state constitutional amendment. [Source: Times/Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando tech firm touts next-gen lighting for smartphones, tablets [Orlando Sentinel] When Chris Morton looks at the screen of an iPhone or Android, he sees the past. But in his company's laboratory, he sees the future. The longtime Orlando high-tech executive and his cadre of scientists at the University of Florida say they have created the next big thing for smartphone display screens.

› Museum accepting applications for Cade prize[Gainesville Sun] The Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention has started taking applications for the fifth annual $50,000 Cade Museum Prize. The competition is open to Florida residents and Florida-based companies.